Devon Cafe

Collaborating again with interior designer Matt Woods, I was engaged to design the branding and signage for the original Devon Cafe on Devonshire St, Surry Hills. Drawing inspiration from Matt's unique interior painted lines, I had the logo designed by another graphic designer and then rolled it out across signage, printed collateral, packaging and online assets.

Creating the concept of an imaginary brand of ‘Devon’ cold meats, it formed the foundation for the cafe's whimsical branding. Though the subtle joke may not have been fully grasped by the client, it added a touch of playfulness to the project. I wanted to create the feeling of packaging carboard boxes so I had a large design of the Devon meats logo printed on waxed cardboard and cut into pieces, becoming the hardbacks for the menus. A gold foil printed logo and gold pins was applied to blank paper for the client to print their ever-changing menus on a Word template.

Thinking left of centre, I transformed the devon packaging into a long sausage wrap, wrapping the edges of the stools to evoke the essence of sliced cold meats with the wrapper on. Outside, the ‘Fresh Cut’ sign in the window playfully nodded to the cold meats concept. Taking the production value to another level, the front glass window was removed and sent to the signwriters Lynes & Co. to have the logo screenprinted in luxurious 24-carat gold leaf. The exterior awning and signage seamlessly matched this stunning branding, extending the experience to every touchpoint, including the cup sleeves and loyalty cards.

With a touch of humor, I attempted to introduce Aussie staple of devon and tomato sauce sandwiches to the menu, but alas, the client didn't quite grasp the concept. Nonetheless, this successful venture marked the beginning of a series of three venues I would brand for the Devon Team (see Devon on Danks and Lazy Suzie).

All photos by shot me.